TECO 2030 is leading a project that will build a hydrogen-powered high-speed workboat for Norway’s Port of Narvik
The Port of Narvik is seeking a new workboat to oversee port activities, for emergency preparedness and to train crews. The port aims to get the workboat classified as a long-range, high-speed passenger vessel.
Along with eight project partners, it is seeking public funding to build one of the world’s first hydrogen-powered, high-speed vessels. When complete, the workboat will replace one of the port of Narvik’s diesel vessels, helping the port to reduce diesel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Port of Narvik director Børge Edvardsen Klingan said, “A new hydrogen-powered workboat will put the Port of Narvik in a unique position, where we will reduce our own emissions and use pioneering technology that will become important for both national and international shipping in the years to come. This project will contribute to economic growth and development in Narvik and its surrounding regions and will also be an important contribution to the green transition in the maritime industry. We are very happy we are able to take the lead in reducing emissions from ships.”
Northern Norwegian yard Grovfjord Mekaniske Verksted will serve as the vessel’s shipbuilder equipped with hydrogen fuel cells from TECO 2030 produced at the company’s recently launched production facility in Narvik.
TECO chief executive Tore Enger said, “We are looking forward to working on this project, and we are happy and grateful the Port of Narvik has chosen TECO 2030 as supplier of fuel cells for its new hydrogen vessel.
The University of Tromsø (UiT), which operates a campus in Narvik, will participate as a research partner, with the aim of gaining expertise in maritime hydrogen systems.
Other partners on the project include marine engineering firm BLOM Maritime, hydrogen supplier Everfuel, consultancies Proactima and KUPA and Norninnova Narvik, a company which specialises in commercialising research results.
BLOM Maritime will provide technical assistance to Grovfjord Mekaniske Verksted during the vessel’s construction while Proactima will handle risk assessments and analysis to ensure safety. KUPA will focus on disseminating the knowledge about hydrogen boats that will be developed during the boat’s building and testing phase.
TECO 2030’s hydrogen cell production facility in Narvik is part of the Norwegian Government’s ambition to build a complete value chain for hydrogen as an energy carrier.
The hydrogen-powered workboat will become Narvik’s first hydrogen consumer, requiring bunkering facilities which will see Everfuel develop this filling station. The company is currently working to establish hydrogen filling stations for trucks, buses and other heavy-duty transport across Norway.
Everfuel, UiT and Norinnova Narvik will work to find prospective users of hydrogen technology within the municipality and county municipality, such as buses, waste collection vehicles and taxis.
Mr Enger added, “Now we only need to get support for this project from the Norwegian state enterprise Enova. Everything else has already been prepared, and we are ready to get to work. Hydrogen will be key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the maritime industry, but the development of hydrogen technology for ships and other hydrogen infrastructure requires large resources.”
The partners plan to finish building the vessel in 2023.
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